North Slope Borough, Alaska
Above the national median for subprime credit share.
Main Findings
North Slope Borough, Alaska is more distressed than 24% of U.S. counties on the County Distress Index. North Slope Borough sits near the national median across major distress indicators. Its highest-scoring domain is Delinquency and its lowest is Debt Burden (housing basis).
- 19th of 30 counties in Alaska on the County Distress Index — 24 · low county distress, more distressed than 24% of U.S. counties.
- 33% of residents carry subprime credit (score below 660) (U.S. median 23%). Subprime credit share at the 83rd percentile nationally. Source: Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025).
- Uninsured rate at 14% — national median 8%, ranked at the 85th percentile. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024).
- Labor domain score 33 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
- Default & Legal domain score 22 — weight 20.0% of the CDI composite. Source: American Default Research.
Neighbors span two CDI score labels. The 21-point drop to Yukon-Koyukuk Census Area marks where the Alaska distress corridor ends.
North Slope Borough has a low county distress score. The CDI reading is a county comparison, separate from national ADI bands.
The CDI gives this county a low county distress label. The score is a county comparison, separate from national ADI bands. Its highest-scoring domain is Delinquency.
Indicator History
Period-correct raw indicators from the county-history panel. The CDI composite is excluded because it is a current cross-sectional score.
Unemployment rate
Poverty rate
Transfer income share
Subprime credit population
The Indicators Behind North Slope Borough's CDI Score
Every number traces to a public source. North Slope Borough's value shown alongside AK's median and the U.S. median. Full CSV available for download.
| Indicator | North Slope Borough | AK median | U.S. median | Pctile | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Delinquency — domain score 63 · Rank 1,102 of 3,144 | |||||
| Auto loan delinquency Share of auto loan accounts 60+ days past due | 7% | 2% | 5% | 76th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Credit card delinquency Share of credit card accounts 60+ days past due | 4% | 4% | 5% | 31st | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Subprime credit share Share of residents with a credit score below 660 | 33% | 18% | 23% | 83rd | Equifax data retrieved via FRED (2025) |
| Default & Legal — domain score 22 · Rank 2,710 of 3,144 | |||||
| Debt in collections Share of residents with a credit file who have debt in collections | 20% | 18% | 23% | 39th | Urban Institute Debt in America (2025) |
| Bankruptcy filing rate Personal bankruptcy filings per 100,000 residents | 9 | 34 | 126 | 5th | Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, F-5A (2025) |
| Debt Burden (housing basis) — domain score 13 · Rank 2,979 of 3,144 | |||||
| Rent-to-income ratio Fair Market Rent (2BR) as share of median household income | 18% | 22% | 21% | 20th | U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents (FY2027); U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Severe rent burden (50%+) Share of renter households paying 50%+ of income on rent | 7% | 11% | 18% | 7th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Labor — domain score 33 · Rank 2,252 of 3,144 | |||||
| Adults 25-54 not working Share of adults aged 25 to 54 without a job, leaving out residents of prisons and other institutions (service members count as working) | 20% | 20% | 21% | 49th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Unemployment (average of monthly rates) Share of labor force unemployed, averaged over the monthly rates published for September 2025 to August 2026 (no figures published for October 2025) | 3% | 6% | 4% | 18th | U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, LAUS (monthly rates averaged, September 2025 to August 2026; no figures published for October 2025) |
| Safety Net & Buffer — domain score 45 · Rank 1,795 of 3,144 | |||||
| Child poverty rate Share of children under 18 below the federal poverty line | 17% | 15% | 17% | 48th | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Disability rate Share of residents reporting a disability | 13% | 14% | 16% | 22nd | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
| Poverty rate Share of population below the federal poverty line | 15% | 12% | 13% | 63rd | U.S. Census Bureau, SAIPE (2024) |
| Uninsured rate Share of residents without health insurance coverage | 14% | 12% | 8% | 85th | U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year (2024) |
Five-Domain Breakdown
The CDI is an equal-weight composite of five family-v1 distress domains. Each domain contributes 20% of the county score.
Methodology
The County Distress Index scores household financial distress from 0 to 100 for all 3,144 U.S. counties. A county's score is the share of U.S. counties it is more distressed than. The index is built from five equal-weighted domains: Delinquency, Default & Legal, Debt Burden, Labor, and Safety Net & Buffer. Each domain is the mean of distress-oriented indicator percentiles; the five domains are averaged, and that average is ranked against every other county to give the score.
Data sources include the Urban Institute Debt in America (Equifax consumer credit panel), Equifax data retrieved via FRED (subprime credit share), U.S. Census Bureau (American Community Survey 5-year, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates), U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (Local Area Unemployment Statistics), Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts (F-5A bankruptcy filings), and U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Fair Market Rents. Data vintages range from 2024 to 2027 depending on source; full indicator-level vintage detail is in the methodology document.
For Press & Research
Everything you need to cite North Slope Borough data.
Draft wire copy 132-word AP-style article — use freely with attribution
UTQIAGVIK, Alaska — North Slope Borough is more distressed than 24% of U.S. counties, according to the County Distress Index released this month by American Default Research.
North Slope Borough scores 24 out of 100, which means it is more distressed than 24% of U.S. counties; its score label is low county distress. Within Alaska, North Slope Borough ranks 19th of 30 boroughs and census areas.
The index, which draws on 14 source indicators from the U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Urban Institute and federal court filings, finds North Slope Borough sitting near the national median across major distress indicators, with no single domain emerging as a clear driver.
American Default Research founder Ross Kilburn is available for interview at press@americandefault.org.
Full methodology and county-by-county data are available at americandefault.org/methodology/cdi.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is North Slope Borough's CDI score, and what does it mean?
What drives North Slope Borough's distress score?
How does North Slope Borough compare to its neighbors?
How is the County Distress Index calculated?
North Slope Borough resident looking for help? HUD counselors, legal aid, and attorney referrals →